Pages

Thursday, October 8, 2015

BLOG TOUR [Guest Post + Giveaway] City of Roses by Donovan Pruitt

City of Roses

by Donovan Pruitt

Publication date: May 5th 2015

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

A young man ventures to his lost love’s childhood home in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine. When a sudden accident puts him off-course, he awakes to discover a lively and vibrant culture living in a nearby village and a woman who reignites his heart. But something sinister lurks in the shadows, and he must face the terror and help defend the village from evil before it is lost forever. Go beyond the tragedy of Chernobyl and discover the magic in the City of Roses.

The greatest feeling that I’ve experienced so far is inspiring people to educate themselves further on a topic I’ve addressed. One of the things I strive for, especially in some of my recent stories, is to write with an attachment to a real person/place/thing. In City of Roses, that thing is the culture that existed in Pripyat, Ukraine before the Chernobyl disaster. The book highlights several creatures taken from Ukrainian folklore/mythology that were a lot of fun to include. Even the title, City of Roses, is a reference to the Chernobyl director’s love for roses, so much that they were planted all over Pripyat. There’s a lot of real history and references to the nuclear fallout mentioned in the book. Even though the story is not contingent on the reader knowing the historical details that occurred, the knowledge of the event or even just an affinity for the culture, the people, and the location will enhance the overall appeal.

I recently reconnected with some old friends from high school, and I was blown away when they told me that my book motivated them to research Chernobyl and Pripyat. They wanted to learn more, to attach themselves to the real events that were described in the book. I really don’t think I could have been happier to hear that. I made learning happen!

I hope when people read about the Chernobyl disaster in my book and see these odd, whimsical folklore creatures, they Google them. Google everything. Go beyond the book. Find the real stories that inspired me to write this one. Learn about the awesome mythology of another culture. City of Roses is a gateway to real events and real cultural icons. In many ways, the history is tragic, but I try to focus on the more uplifting possibilities of life, love, folklore, and the afterlife to get us all through it without crying (too much). And when I have a reader come and tell me that I inspired them to learn more, to read more, I’ve accomplished everything I ever wanted as a writer.

AUTHOR BIO:

Donovan Pruitt has a passion for science fiction and fantasy, especially those titles that trend toward young and new adult storytelling. City of Roses was his first standalone book as an indie author, though he has also written for video games and was previously published as a co-author in the fantasy genre. You can visit him online at www.KalaEmpire.com or join the discussion on Twitter @KalaEmpire.